Dungeon Master Forum

I was rereading some messages and got to tihnking... what kind of tatics do you use to play DM? well that "arguement aobut stats" how else do you differ playing these games?
Do you sleep? is there a certain way you like to gain levels? do you smei cheat and save close to going up a level and quit if you don't get stats you want?

Why not put together a level by level guide. Something done by the people who still play the game today. After all these years im sure we all must have something to add.

Matt

I don't sleep, and don't hang around monster generators. However. I will fight every single monster hand to hand, while all the spare mana is used to practise priest spells or keeping stamina topped up. I'll let my fighters gain ninja levels against rocks and screamers, so all in all i normally have an unbalanced party with the magic users at the back fairly weak.

In single player, the same applies, so the character will usually only gain wizard levels into the worm level, and has high (non GM) stats

I'm interested in trying out the 'all magic' or 'all ninja' approach at some point though

not my style besides the feww games i do like with complex level\area's i like to keep them that way(no offense but i find the the dm2 "area's" too small and real easy to navigate).

Here is a Level to Level Guide i just constructed from my mind (i think, noone has completed DM more often than me). I left out the Levels which i just run through and only mentioned the interesting ones:
Before Worm Level: all chars journeyman on every class (war cry some screamers at level one ), it is a must (for me) that all 4 chars are able to use rapier the moment i find it.
After Worm Level:
Adept Fighters (with looking forward to Hardcleave, you can use it at the time you find it without any more special training)
Artisan Ninjas (this will never go up for me later, i only raise it to increase life, stamina, dex and str)
Artisan Priest (capable of casting MON-VI potions)
Artisan Wizards (capable of casting the 4-4-4 (EE fireball))
After Rat Level:
Expert fighters (Hardcleave comes soon)
Expert Priests
Expert Wizards (at this time, i usually switch to FUL-Fireballs)

now no longer special trainig is needed, my front fighters (i choose them at this moment by amout of Life) get 1 or 2 extra-levels at knight Level and i specialize the fighters also to mages and the other two to priests (for healing during combat; im too lazy to avoid blows of monsters, i just stand there, whack and drink VI-Potions)

of course, you needn't urgently do this, if you avoid blows of the monsters (unlike me), you can complete the game with much weaker chars (but what a pity beeing not able to use hardcleave). i've seen a mate of me completing the game (i didnt help him for i was curios how he will do it ) with an average of 250 life per character (3 of them below 100 mana).

i kill about every monster in the game, and my 2 frontmen always wear shields and the 2 best weapons i have, the 2 at the back wear some item that increases mana (wands at the beginning, which i use up to train them priest levels; and vorpal blades later) and a bottle at the other hand. i always wear the heaviest armor i find and use KU-potions if my dudes are too weak, the 2 at the back always wear a flamebain and nerra crown (+15 wisdom) each.
spells: i cast light via OH-IR-RA and use lightning bolts against single opponents, else fireballs. i use VI and KU potions and am always protected by YA-IR shields, FUL-BRO-KU shields if necessary. i also train priest levels by casting these shields.
With these tactics, you need about 3-4 hours a game and you'll have 4 almost equal and very mighty characters. btw, my own created dungeons will be too hard if you dont play similar to this

I don't like training up for the simple reason it is such a nice feeling to have to struggle against creatures, etc then suddenly find you can cast that powerful spell, use that option. For example, in my own 'Stamm only' dungeon, there is enough starting food and water to get him to a decent magic level befroe starting, but I prefer to have to struggle on without the ability to heal too well just for the rush when finally those YA potions work all the time, the melee option finally works, etc in lower levels, when finally fireballs become an option in later ones, etc...same with DM using a reincarnated character (s).

I do dance around fighting, so it's nice when characters get powerful enough to stand around taking the blows, with priests fast/powerful enough to keep healing/shielding them.

2 Nerra Crowns and 2 Flame Bains? I think without item-hacking you´ll have but one of each. My second rear-guard wears a Dex-helm instead of a Nerra Crown

I've played, and finished the game, with a party who fought as little as possible, spending long periods of time running around monsters. I have them on my computer somewhere. I think the strongest character had health of around 150...but Daroou started with 100 so that isn't much. You end up getting levels by monsters hitting you (which is where things get annoying). I didn't try, however, playing it without gaining a single level which I am sure must be possible in some way. There aren't many monsters you HAVE to kill....just not sure how many in total. The ultimate in the end would be taking Tiggy alone, gaining not a single level (if it is actually possible when it comes to creatures holding items) and completing the game with all of his glorious 25 hit points. That basically means you can't take ANY hits from nearly all monsters. Hmm..I think I'm going to try this <p><p><font size=1><marquee>How's it feel when she's coming up roses, How's it feel when she's coming up sweet, How's it feel when it's all in spite of you, How's it feel when she's out of your reach?</marquee></font></p></p>

if tiggy accidently gets a lvl, you can reduce her hitpoints back to 25 by using a vi altar. must use a 2nd char though for that...

But the point would be you get hit so little you don't get a level <p><p><font size=1><marquee>How's it feel when she's coming up roses, How's it feel when she's coming up sweet, How's it feel when it's all in spite of you, How's it feel when she's out of your reach?</marquee></font></p></p>

A true Archmaster Player would probably win in Tiggy-single-mode WITHOUT game-saving.

i AM a true archmaster (even though some1 drawed me at the poll who completed dm the most time), i grew up with this game and could play through it blindfolded.
but:
no1 can (only an example) kill the knight holding the key with a non-exp, 25 life-tiggy without either saving the game nor getting some levels. impossible. if you are good at stealth (i think thats not the topmost point when talking bout archmastery in dm ), you can reach that knight only theoretically without getting hit, because too many monsters are blocking gangways.
i did my solo-adventures always with at least the urgent training, and if you only beat the the monsties standing in your way, you still get above 400 life...

that knight is easy..lure him onto the fake pits, open them up under him, ionstant fatalirt/key..as long as you have a rope to get down yourself!

The real test there is the faders...there are two, that can fire quite far, so luck relaly determines if you live long enough to get them. The impossible bit is the two knights/oitu generator later before you reach the end rooms...unless you can luck it, there is no way passed them without combat...

there are too many examples of getting trapped at sairs or around places later for you to be able to stealth, and certainly do it without saving...level 8, ghosts spawn quickly and can pin down anyone. The only thing that can see you ok in these circumstances are freeze life boxes
You can't kill key-holding monsters without even gaining throwing practise if you rely on bombs

Noo Amber

I've completed it with nobody getting over 200 life...and I fought much more than I needed to.

As for key-holding monsters....its a case of Tiggy's ninja level, the expereience you HAVE to get for throwing bombs at monsters and whether this will result in a level. I'm probably going to try it today (good luck to me!)...I'll also probably fail early...you're all forgetting the wasps........ <p><p><font size=1><marquee>How's it feel when she's coming up roses, How's it feel when she's coming up sweet, How's it feel when it's all in spite of you, How's it feel when she's out of your reach?</marquee></font></p></p>

the 400 life are a realistic value, if u dont dodge any monster.
didnt think of the pits at the knight level...
ill have a try someday...

My save game of the party with low health is corrupted . I only have an early version where I have a fair amount of running around to do <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ferent.gif ALT=":|"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> .

As for Tiggy.....*shakes my head* level 2 was hard because I had to lure a single screamer out of a passageway back to the 3x3 room where four screamers are (leading to where you put the copper coin into the fountain). I'm now on level 3, without being hit or hitting anything. Using doors for blue ogres is a long process...once one of a group dies, they run and you have to follow them to a deadend, then lead them to where you find the compass and use the teleporter to land on them, thus killing them. Something makes me think there aren't enough torches for the amount of work I need to do <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ferent.gif ALT=":|"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> . Oh well, apart from being stressful its......well irritating to be honest .

Oh well

And in reply to you Amber, my under 200 was a case of "fighting only what you have to" with a little bit of "you're annoying me, I'll kill you". On the scorpion level in that earlier save, there are scorpions, pixies, skeletons and beholders ALL OVER the level. I just had to run through there to pick somethng up and it was crazy. I agree that health of around 400 is realistic if you fight every monster you come across whilst trying to come across as few as possible. <p><p><font size=1><marquee>How's it feel when she's coming up roses, How's it feel when she's coming up sweet, How's it feel when it's all in spite of you, How's it feel when she's out of your reach?</marquee></font></p></p>